This is in response to a note I got from Tom Young wanting to know more about the Alden Mistral.
I've owned my boat for about two years now and in that time I've accumulated a little info on these.
The design number is 981. My particular boat is #981-A which means it was the first one produced. I purchased a set of drawings for the boat from Alden. They show that the boat was initially designed in the summer of 1962 but my boat wasn't commissioned until 1964. Interesting enough the drawings weren't finally issued until 1965.
They built at least 12 of the units. I've came across an ad in a 1972 Yachting magazine for #981-L and something else I got from Alden implied the run ended there but don't really know for sure.
The boat as designed, has an LOA of 36'6", DWL of 26'6", Beam of 10'6", and draft of 4'9" though this last number is a little sketchy.
I say that because the boat was offer in numerous configurations.
The standard design has a centerboard keel, a cabin truck of wood identical to the Challenger except with two small windows forward on each side, a fiberglass cockpit, and was Yawl rigged.
They also offered it with the Zephyr, full fiberglass deck, a fixed keel, and sloop rigged. The depth of the keel seems to vary from drawing to drawing.
To the casual observer, the interior of the boat is idential to the Challenger except that we loose about 18" where you have the fireplace. I have a bulkhead mounted brass and soapstone solid fuel heated which I assume is original equipment.
The cockpit is pretty much the same layout as the Challenger except that the bridgedeck is fiberglass and only about 8" wide.
My boat was built by Halmatic in England under Lloyds supervision and the interior finished off by Aircraft Specialties Company, also in England. The original buyer was in southern California. The interior is all African mahogany and the joinery is excellent. Aircraft Specialties apparently refit aircraft for private buyers and for some reason got into the boat finishing business.
I assume the hull is the unique part of the boat. It has a relatively hard bilge and even a little tumblehome just aft of center. Apparently it can take at lot of wind in spite of the relatively light ballast of about 3500. It has a modified full keel with the "fore foot??" cut back to the middle of the boat. The previous owner of my boat sailed it for about 20 years in San Francisco bay and said he took his first main reef at 20 knots of wind and second at around 28 knots, and only sailed with the 150 jib. I don't know how much of that is bull but both jib rails are significantly bent and with several broken bolts to show for the experience.
I don't have any pictures to show yet. The boat was road hard and put away wet and I am now doing a major refit. I figured out a reasonable exhaust system but will revise it if a better plan comes along. Again, the original drawings show a water jacketed exhaust hose going directly from the engine to a muffler under the aft deck. That kind of exhaust hose just isn't available anymore to my knowledge. I've installled a water lift muffler system but had to compromise on several of the recommended dimensions to get it to fit.
Bill Merrick
Alden Mistral #981-A
Seattle WA
I've owned my boat for about two years now and in that time I've accumulated a little info on these.
The design number is 981. My particular boat is #981-A which means it was the first one produced. I purchased a set of drawings for the boat from Alden. They show that the boat was initially designed in the summer of 1962 but my boat wasn't commissioned until 1964. Interesting enough the drawings weren't finally issued until 1965.
They built at least 12 of the units. I've came across an ad in a 1972 Yachting magazine for #981-L and something else I got from Alden implied the run ended there but don't really know for sure.
The boat as designed, has an LOA of 36'6", DWL of 26'6", Beam of 10'6", and draft of 4'9" though this last number is a little sketchy.
I say that because the boat was offer in numerous configurations.
The standard design has a centerboard keel, a cabin truck of wood identical to the Challenger except with two small windows forward on each side, a fiberglass cockpit, and was Yawl rigged.
They also offered it with the Zephyr, full fiberglass deck, a fixed keel, and sloop rigged. The depth of the keel seems to vary from drawing to drawing.
To the casual observer, the interior of the boat is idential to the Challenger except that we loose about 18" where you have the fireplace. I have a bulkhead mounted brass and soapstone solid fuel heated which I assume is original equipment.
The cockpit is pretty much the same layout as the Challenger except that the bridgedeck is fiberglass and only about 8" wide.
My boat was built by Halmatic in England under Lloyds supervision and the interior finished off by Aircraft Specialties Company, also in England. The original buyer was in southern California. The interior is all African mahogany and the joinery is excellent. Aircraft Specialties apparently refit aircraft for private buyers and for some reason got into the boat finishing business.
I assume the hull is the unique part of the boat. It has a relatively hard bilge and even a little tumblehome just aft of center. Apparently it can take at lot of wind in spite of the relatively light ballast of about 3500. It has a modified full keel with the "fore foot??" cut back to the middle of the boat. The previous owner of my boat sailed it for about 20 years in San Francisco bay and said he took his first main reef at 20 knots of wind and second at around 28 knots, and only sailed with the 150 jib. I don't know how much of that is bull but both jib rails are significantly bent and with several broken bolts to show for the experience.
I don't have any pictures to show yet. The boat was road hard and put away wet and I am now doing a major refit. I figured out a reasonable exhaust system but will revise it if a better plan comes along. Again, the original drawings show a water jacketed exhaust hose going directly from the engine to a muffler under the aft deck. That kind of exhaust hose just isn't available anymore to my knowledge. I've installled a water lift muffler system but had to compromise on several of the recommended dimensions to get it to fit.
Bill Merrick
Alden Mistral #981-A
Seattle WA